Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Customization Choices I'm Kicking Around

Right now for Septimus Lite, I'm kicking around the following levels of customization:

STRATEGIC: These are character choices that don't really change, except perhaps for "retraining" at level-up time. They are fixed from adventure to adventure for the most part.
- Ability Scores. Determine derived characteristics for the most part, and thus your Operational Choices.
- Prime Ability: Body (Fighting Man), Agility/Mind (Expert/Magician), Heart (Leader).
- Primary Focus: Move, Know, Deceive, Influence, Endure. Your selection of primary focus in conjunction with prime ability basically determines your "Class."
- Race: MAY predetermine your Prime Ability and/or Focus (i.e., all Elves "Know," or all Dwarves "Endure"). Also gives you a few custom "shticks" to spend Fate points on.

OPERATIONAL: These choices can change during the course of an adventure from encounter to encounter.
- Focus. You can shift your second focus between encounters.
- Armor (None, Light, Medium, Heavy). This is mainly a choice for high-body score characters who have ENC to burn. They can choose between superior protection & superior mobility. Equipment for problem solving also falls under here.
- Power Words. This is mainly a choice for high-mind characters. Words of Power form the basis of my hypothetical spell system. Selecting different power words gives you different options for the day.
- Followers/Oaths. This is a choice for high-heart characters. They either hire retainers who can serve different functions, or collect oaths (the bookkeeping-lite option).

TACTICAL: These stances can change within the course of an encounter.
- Fighting Style (1H, 2H, Sword & Board, TWF). Prime Body characters have the most choices here, but basically its a tradeoff between higher damage (and then a choice between reliable, special effect, or variable) and superior defenses.
- Spellcasting. Prime Mind characters will need to combine their Arts with their Power Words to create spell effects. This gives them plenty of round-to-round choice.
- Use of Fate Points. Prime Heart characters get more potent uses of Fate points so they need to choose when and how to use this consumable resource.

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